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WHITE FIR

Abies concolor (Gord. &

Glend.) Lindl. Ex Hildebr.

Plant Symbol = ABCO

Contributed by: USDA NRCS Plant Materials

Program

Uses

Timber: It is cut for lumber, boxes and crates,

planning mill products, sashes, doors, and general

mill work and pulpwood. It is light in weight, easy to

work, and relatively free from splitting when nailed;

it holds nails only moderately well.

Ornamental: White fir makes an excellent Christmas

tree for it has a delightful aroma, retains its needles

well after cutting, and has strong sturdy branches that

hold their shape. It is highly regarded as an

ornamental or specimen tree in colder, moister

climates.

Wildlife: White fir seed is eaten by squirrels and other

rodents. Seedlings are often browsed extensively by

deer. Porcupines will gnaw the bark, and grouse will

feed on the buds and needles. White fir makes good

winter roosting trees for grouse.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State

Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s

current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species,

state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

©W.L. Wagner

Smithsonian Institution

@ USDA NRCS PLANTS

Description

Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ex Hildebr.,

white fir, is a large forest tree from 60 to 200 feet in

height that can live up to 300 years or more. Its

leaves or needles are 2 to 3 inches long, silvery-blue

to silvery-green, extending at nearly right angles

from all sides of the twig or more or less obscurely 2-

ranked; flattened, stomatiferous above and below,

rounded or acute at the apex. The upright cones are 2

to 5 inches long, oblong, olive-green to purple; bracts

shorter than the scales, with short, broad erose

shoulders, and spikelike tips. The bark is 4 to 7

inches thick on old trunks, ashy gray and divided by

deep irregular furrows in thick, horny flattened

ridges; young stems with conspicuous resin blisters.

Adaptation and Distribution

White fir is found in areas characterized by a

moderately humid climate with long winters and

moderate to heavy deposits of snow. It is found

principally where precipitation exceeds 20 inches;

however, best development is in areas where

precipitation is 35 to 75 inches annually. Most white

fir is found at elevations of 4,000 to 10,000 feet along

the western Sierra Nevada. White fir grows on soils

from a wide variety of parent materials, including

andesite, basalt, granite, pumice, sandstone and shale.

Deep and permeable soils are best for growth when

supplied with adequate moisture. Soils on which

white fir is frequently found include the Aiken,

Holland, Hugo, Olympic, Sheet Iron and Sites series.

Most soils on which white fir occurs are moderately

to strongly acid, friable, granular and clay loam.

White fir is distributed primarily throughout the

western United States. For a current distribution

map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this

species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

White fir may be regenerated by natural seeding,

direct seeded, or planted. Cones begin to disintegrate

and shed seeds in late September or early October,

and there is a good seed crop about every 2 to 5

years. The seed germinates in the spring but usually

less than 50 percent of the seed germinate. White fir

is generally rated as tolerant to very tolerant of shade

so that selective (partial) cutting tends to favor this

species. Initial growth rate is usually very slow up to

about 30 years, then growth accelerates markedly. In

planting white fir 2 to 4 year old stock is

recommended. In direct seeding 10 to 15 seeds per

spot is recommended. To ensure adequate stocking

of natural seedings, clear cutting strips 130 to 200

feet wide or patches up to 250 feet across the largest

dimension is recommended. At least 10 seed trees

per acre should be left if larger areas are clear cut

when adequate seedlings are not present.

Management

On better sites fully stocked, unmanaged stands of

white fir may yield up to 150,000 board feet per acre

at age 100. Thinning white fir stands periodically

will salvage trees which would be lost to natural

mortality. Pruning is not ordinarily recommended for

white fir because of its tendency for epicormic

sprouting and unless the tree is being grown for

veneer or finish lumber, there is not need for this

practice.

Young trees are easily killed by fire and must be

protected from this hazard. Young sapling and pole

sized trees are subject to sunscald when exposed

suddenly, and thinnings should be light because of

this. White fir is more prone to windthrow than

ponderosa pine because of its more shallow, wide

spreading root system, and care should be taken in

partial cuttings to leave buffer strips against the wind

and to thin conservatively.

White fir Christmas trees require 6 to 9 years to

produce a 6 foot tree. They need cultivation or other

treatment to prevent excessive competition from

grass. Excessive leader growth will need to be

controlled by basal pruning, basal scarring or pruning

of the terminal shoot. Leader growth should be kept

to about 12 inches.

Pests and Potential Problems

Some of the more important enemies of white fir are

the spruce budworm, Douglas-fir tussock moth, many

different bark beetles, mistletoe and heart rot fungi.

Needle rusts may be a serious problem in producing

Christmas trees, and white fir is one of the conifers

most sensitive to sulphur dioxide.

Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and

area of origin)

White pine seed can be purchased at most

commercial seed sources in the west. Seedlings can

also be purchased from pine nurseries in the western

part of the country.

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program

31Jan2002 JLK; 24may06jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact

your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the

PLANTS Web site<

http://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials

Program Web site <

http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

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